114 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



the success or failure of the various cultural methods is also 

 closely dependent upon local conditions, just as already found 

 to hold true with fertilization. 



As already noted also, it is not practicable in the present 

 cases to determine just how much of the credit is due to the 

 cover crops and how much to the tillage. But in view of the 

 rather unfavorable results from cover crops in the direct com- 

 parisons above, the present benefits can hardly be largely or 

 positively credited to them without more definite evidence. 



RELATIVE COMMERCIAL QUALITY OF THE FRUIT. 



Assuming that commercial quality in apples is largely deter- 

 mined by the size and color of the fruit, it would seem to be 

 almost a triple tie for the leading place between the various 

 treatments here. This is on account of the fact that the gains 

 in one character are usually ofifset by deficiencies in the other 

 and vice versa. If there is any material advantage, it is prob- 

 ably with the mulch, since the size of its fruit appears to be 

 satisfactory and its color is distinctly higher than that of the 

 cover-crop fruit. On the same basis and assuming equal sound- 

 ness and perfection, the mulched fruit in Experiments 217 to 

 219 would also doubtless be ranked first in commercial quality 

 in about two-thirds of the cases, or in about six of the nine 

 opportunities for comparison. Incidentally, the high average 

 size generally shown by the mulched fruit, when the crops are, 

 not excessive, is clear evidence of the excellent moisture-con- 

 serving ability of a good mulch and this also has been thor- 

 oughly demonstrated experimentally. 



Thorough and proper tillage will likewise conserve moisture 

 very satisfactorily, but its action on the color of the fruit is 

 quite similar to that of too much nitrogenous fertilizer, — the 

 result in either case being a gray and unsightly color, instead of 

 a rich red, which greatly detracts from its salable qualities. 

 Other characters, however, such as full development in size 

 and a normal period of ripening, are also very important in 

 securing the best dessert and keeping qualities, and where the 

 tilled fruit can excel distinctly in these respects it may often 

 more than overcome its usual deficiencies in color. In this 

 connection also, the relative keeping quality of the fruit is evi- 

 'dently of much importance and definite and extensive compari- 



